Parnelli Jones' relevance has no age limit, oldest living Indianapolis 500 winner has new book

For Southern California race fans, Parnelli Jones is never far from the center of attention. That's the result of tremendous success obtained as a competitor at Ascot Park and Riverside International Raceway and being part of the Ontario Motor Speedway ownership group.

But as the Rolling Hills resident ages - he turns 80 this year - his feats have a tendency to vanish from the national spotlight. His career in sprint cars, Indy cars, NASCAR, Trans Am and Baja off-road are memories that have faded over time.

Or have they?

On Wednesday in Detroit, Jones was remembered for his 1963 Indianapolis 500 victory. On the 50th anniversary of his victory, he was presented with a Baby Borg Trophy he didn't receive at the time.

While on the trip back East, Jones took time to promote his new book - "As a matter of fact, I am Parnelli Jones" - in Indianapolis and Philadelphia before returning home.

The book, written with Bones Bourcier, was released in December. What makes the $39.99 edition so valuable is each chapter of Jones' remembrances starts with a preface by Bourcier and finishes with a "testimony" by a contemporary rival, including Mario Andretti, Al and Bobby Unser, A.J Foyt and Johnny Rutherford.

And if that wasn't enough, sons Page and P.J. provide intimate glimpses into their father's life.

It's the story that gripped the country's attention, from a dirt-track jalopy racer at Ascot on local television to his triumphs and disappointments at the Brickyard.

In fact, he was so well known for speed that, according to many old-timers, police often would ask a driver breaking the speed limit, "Who do you think you are, Parnelli Jones?" The book recalls those days because when he once was stopped on a Los Angeles freeway and asked the question, he whipped out his driver's license and said, "As a matter of fact ..."

Another Jones episode was recalled at the Automotive News World Congress event last week that was part of the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. Jones' Baby Borg, officially known as the Borg-Warner Driver's Championship Trophy, pictures him with a cowboy hat.

"I wore that thing all the time that year," said Jones, en route to a Midwest book promotion. "I wore it in Victory Lane and in the pace car on the victory lap.

"But coming out of Turn 2, it flew off as we picked up speed to go down the backstretch. Some kid jumped the fence, grabbed the hat and went into the infield. I thought I would get it back, but I'm still waiting."

Unlike other racers who won before 1988, he's not waiting for the Baby Borg any longer. The 14-inch replica of the trophy, introduced in 1936, was first awarded to Rick Mears after the 1988 race.

Prior to that year, winners were presented a wooden plaque with a silhouette of the real thing. Champions such as Al Unser, Bobby Rahal, Danny Sullivan, Tom Sneva, Gordon Johncock, Andretti, Rutherford, Bobby Unser and Foyt don't have one.

Jones didn't know the Baby Borg existed until a meeting in L.A. with Mears and 2012 winner Dario Franchitti.

"When I first saw the Baby Borg, I (said), `I've got to have one of them. I'll buy one of them. That's awesome,' " Jones said.

Jones, the oldest living Indy winner, received his Baby Borg after Franchitti and a veteran IndyCar public relations expert resolved the issue.

"It was a great surprise," said Jones, lured to the show by the premise he would honor Franchitti. He received a lengthy standing ovation by a crowd of 2,000. "It was totally shocking.

"I think it's going to wake up some of (the old winners) who will wonder, `Where's mine? Why don't I get one of them?"'

The next question is where will Jones keep the trophy that is valued at $40,000. Will it be in his home, where he's lived since 1966, his office in Torrance or his "recreational" home in Utah?

"I spend time in my office, taking care of business," he said. "It's not eight hours, but I need to be there."